Darius Garland didn’t hold back after Cleveland’s Game 2 win. Speaking to the media, he laid out a simple strategy. “Pick on Tyler Herro. Take care of the ball. Don’t play in tight spaces. And pick on their weak defenders. Go after them.” Sounds bold, right? But here’s the twist: after stirring the pot, Garland won’t even hit the floor for Game 3. Isn’t it wild how trash talk sometimes comes back to bite back almost instantly? After saying his piece and receiving the challenge back from Herro, his disappearance is not going to sit well with the fans.
Well, it certainly didn’t sit well with the cast of NBA on TNT as they piled on Garland for his rash comments and subsequent action of missing the next game. News dropped that Garland would miss Game 3 with a toe sprain, just hours after all that tough talk. And the keg was lit on fire with this comment, “Just came out Garland ruled out with a toe sprain. He is not playing in this game after making said comments…” No doubt, timing couldn’t have looked worse. The Cavs, who lead the series 2-0, now must start Sam Merrill instead. Makes you wonder—did Garland bite off more than he could chew?
“You can say it, but you gotta play”
The Guys react to Darius Garland being ruled out for Game 3 after his comments on Tyler Herro pic.twitter.com/gOFwocqJHW
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) April 26, 2025
As news broke, the TNT crew didn’t hold back either. Barkley instantly reacted, “Are you kidding me? You gotta be kidding me, right?” He didn’t stop there. Barkley continued, “Well, first of all, you don’t say that.” Shaq fired back, “Yeah, you do.” But Barkley wasn’t hearing it, saying, “No, you don’t.” Everyone agreed on one thing, though—you have to back up your words, not limp out with a sprain.
Shaq summed it up best, explaining why Garland’s comments felt out of line. “You can say it, but you shouldn’t say it,” Shaq said, shaking his head. Barkley piled on, saying Garland didn’t even have to guard Tyler Herro. Plus, Barkley reminded everyone Herro had 34 points, jokingly adding, “You don’t act like he’s a bum.” This whole saga proves: talk is cheap if you don’t show up.
This is a developing story…
The post Charles Barkley & TNT Fellas Roast Darius Garland’s ‘Cop-Out’ For Backing Off Miami’s Challenge appeared first on EssentiallySports.